


[VID] A Fugitive in Stardew Valley

by Zaniida



Series: Bechdel-Wallace Pass [6]
Category: Stardew Valley (Video Game)
Genre: A Cat (because of course), Actual Spanish, Amateur Spanish, Amateur Voice Acting, Bilingual, Bilingual Bonus, Deceit, Fugitive, Hiding in Plain Sight, Let's Play, Nightmares, Transcripts, Video & Computer Games, farming, video series
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-04
Updated: 2018-09-07
Packaged: 2019-05-02 01:49:28
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,405
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14534052
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zaniida/pseuds/Zaniida
Summary: On the run after a failed bank heist, a young woman finds herself trapped in a hidden valley… and, for some reason, everyone seems to think she's the farmer they've been expecting (and the language barrier isn't helping her figure out what the heck is going on).





	1. Links and Episode One Transcript

**Author's Note:**

> On June 26th, 2017, two days before the second [Tiny Box Tim Day](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WfEjuDCOJWc), I posted the first episode of **A Fugitive in Stardew Valley** (#StardewValleyFugitive, if you cared for news of it on Twitter).
> 
> Since then, I've managed -- as of this post -- to upload eight episodes, and I'm currently working on the ninth (which requires a bit more video editing than the previous ones, so it's taking longer).
> 
> Originally, I didn't think of it in terms of fanfiction, but it's certainly distinct from a traditional Let's Play. Or, perhaps I should say, it's more like some of the original Let's Plays. LPs have mutated into mostly "watch me play this game and make funny comments about it," but the original form was done as forum posts, and had a lot more deliberate storytelling and mutating of the original plot -- see [_The Terrible Secret of Animal Crossing_](https://lparchive.org/Animal-Crossing/) (2007).
> 
>  _Fugitive_ is the tale of a character who unexpectedly ends up in the role of _Stardew Valley_ 's protagonist -- but doesn't have that background herself. Sabra's on the run and desperate, and quickly concludes that her best bet is to accept the role for now, hoping to earn some money and goodwill before news of the heist comes to the valley. (I have in mind why exactly this is happening, but it'll be a while before those secrets come to light.)
> 
> On top of that, the people in the town converse in Spanish, not English. Sabra's got some high-school level Spanish in her head (maybe a _little_ better than that) and can pick up the gist of what's being said, but misses out on a lot of vocabulary and grammar (plus, I get to play with bilingual bonuses when she misunderstands certain words or phrases). I chose Spanish for a few reasons: I can parse it pretty well myself, it's a good chance for me to improve and to practice my pronunciation, it gives me an excuse for Sabra not to realize the truth more readily (some of the bits in English would be far too obvious), and it's more interesting than just sticking to English.
> 
> This is my first major voice acting project, and I've already seen some interesting growth in the vocal quality between the first episode and the latest; I have high hopes for how the series will progress. But it does take a significant number of hours to make a single episode, which is why they're not being uploaded very fast.
> 
> Anyway, I discussed with the staff here at AO3, and they said that it falls within the archive's purview, so here are links to the videos on my YouTube channel. (I'm not embedding them because, although they don't currently have ads on them, they may eventually get ads, and we can't have ads on the archive.) I hope you enjoy the story!

Main Character's Name: **Sabra**  
Cat's Name: Melocotón ("Peach")

Video's Language (Narration, etc.): English  
Game's Language (Dialog, Signs, etc.): Spanish (which Sabra is not very good at understanding)

Series Preview: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_rr-GLCC5o>

First Episode: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HQltBMSAvDs>

Full Playlist: <https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL0ClYKdVtHGGySk4jsYNCIy3lCz7WPwvL>

Most Recent Episode (Eight): <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krhcCdeFdRU> \-- this may not remain current! (because I'm lazy and/or busy and/or easily distracted)

**Transcript (Episode One):**

When I hit the ground, I heard my knee pop, but I knew I couldn't stay there; I had to keep moving.

There was someone at a campfire; I hoped he couldn't see me in the darkness.

I had to steer clear of the houses -- but, there was this little forest path that I hoped led off somewhere less noticeable.

 

It had been a long time since I'd been in the forest alone, and _never_ at night. I kept imagining people behind me, but… they wouldn't have caught up with me _this_ fast. Still, I had to keep moving; there was no guessing how long before the police caught up with me.

 _Someone_ had to see that I'd been on that train; they'd track me down to where I jumped off. I had to be gone before they got there.

But it was so _dark_. I pushed through the forest, hardly able to see anything… then got brought up short by the sight of a house.

I was so tired, and my leg hurt _so much_. I needed a place to stay the night.

The details… were hard to make out, but the house looked pretty run down. It wasn't even locked. The inside was dusty, and… no one had used the fireplace in _weeks_.

I didn't really have a choice. I crawled into bed and quickly fell asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you have a way of downloading the episodes from YouTube, I have absolutely no problem with you doing so. I don't currently have a way to provide an easier method of downloading them; maybe I will someday figure out how to provide for that.
> 
> If you have comments about the series, or questions, or feedback of any kind, including speculations about the future, feel free to add them here!


	2. Episode Two (Transcript)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After making a full circuit of the town, Sabra discovers that there's no obvious way to leave the valley. With her bad leg, she certainly can't climb out, and the only exit is blocked by a fence she's in no shape to climb over. With no choice but to stay in town for a while, she considers her options and decides on a daring plan.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> See End Note for discussion of the Spanish.
> 
>  **Production Notes:** The cut scene with Willy the Fisherman caught me off guard -- I'd forgotten that visiting the beach would do that -- but it also broke me out of the rut of having the footage be in exactly the order I captured it, a mindset shift that really helps with later episodes as I play around with what happened when (helps to have no clock on the screen).
> 
> It kinda killed me to play this game in such a low-efficiency way -- not maximizing profit early or running around talking to everyone. I did get some seeds the first day (IIRC), plant them and pretend they were already there when Sabra arrives. Also, due to forgetting about checking the bus, I almost ran out of time to finish planting and watering before I would've fallen asleep, which would've been disastrous.
> 
> Making friends with Linus right away seemed perfect for Sabra. She's used to living off the grid a bit, scrambling to survive, so even though he's much older than she is and perhaps not that great with hygiene, he's also the one she feels the most easy connection with and the one person in town not likely to rat her out even if he learns about her crime. So of course she's gonna gravitate toward him… even if he does push her away at first.

I've always been an early riser, so as soon as the sun hit my eyes, I was up and out of there. My leg still hurt, but I couldn't baby it; I had to find my way out of this place before the police tracked me down.

Unfortunately, the topography didn't make it easy. The forest was too thick to push through without a machete. The cliffs overlooking the ocean -- no help there.

The one highlight to the walk was a giant patch of wild onions, one of my favorite spring treats. I hadn't eaten since yesterday morning, so you better believe I stuffed my pockets with those sweet yet sharp-tasting delights.

I came across a sign in what I guessed was Spanish. I'd picked up a bit of Spanish in high school, but what I knew was rudimentary at best. _Pueblo_ \-- village. And, since there was no other way to escape, that's where I was headed next.

I'm not too proud to root through garbage cans. People throw out all sorts of weird stuff -- _useful_ stuff that they don't have a use for anymore. Kinda like me. I _used_ to be useful. It's been a long time since I've been useful to anybody -- even myself.

When I hit the beach, my first thought was to look for a boat, if nothing else, but I got waylaid by a guy who'd clearly spent too much time at sea. He seemed nice enough, though I only picked up one word in ten. "Sea… salad"? "Good fish"? A new _caña_ , whatever that was, and "my old caña."

Then he gave me his fishing pole -- so I worked out the word _caña_ , at least.

"Good waters"… something being open… "if you need anything…"

At the end of the conversation, we stood in companionable silence for a while. He was tapping his foot, and I was letting myself be calmed by the sound of the sea.

And, now I had a fishing pole. I really hoped it wouldn't get to the point where I was fishing for my supper.

The other guy I met on the beach seemed just artistic and full of life. It seemed more suspicious to avoid him than to talk with him, but I wasn't sure if I should let very many people see me here. Pretty soon they'd be questioning where I came from, and… since I couldn't even speak the language, how was I going to explain what was going on? or, rather, make up a convincing story?

The rest of the town's border was cliffs and weird machinery. I could see that I wasn't going to get anywhere in that direction.

The guy who'd been at the campfire last night was still there. He looked homeless, and I guess that drew me to him. In the absence of spoken communication, I decided to give him a treat. I'd picked up a wild horseradish earlier, another sharp flavor that I liked -- and, from his expression, he seemed to appreciate it too.

Well, I'd made a full circuit around the town, and I was back where I started and thoroughly hemmed in. What was I to do?

Maybe the news would have information about the robbery. But, no… barely even _local_ news. And of course it was going to rain tomorrow, why wouldn't it?

The only other channel had a gal calling upon the spirits or something, and the only words I picked up were _neutral_ and "the day is in your hands," which made me shudder. I'd already screwed up so much of my life; how could I make things worse?

I found a bus, but, since I didn't have money and could hardly tell a sob story in Spanish, that wasn't useful. But, wherever a bus could go, I could go, right? My leg was still sore, and not happy with all the walking I'd been doing, but I could deal with that. Unfortunately, someone had put up a fence across the tunnel, and I was in no shape to be climbing fences.

I went through the town after dark, and found what I assumed was the general store. The calendar posted on the front said to me that this is the kind of small town where everybody knows your name. Which meant that, staying here, **everybody** was going to know me.

I couldn't get out, I couldn't communicate… what was I to do?

My only chance was to become the kind of person that everybody liked, even without a common language. And that started with the farm. When that farmer came back, he might just kick me out, might turn me over to the cops… but maybe, just _maybe_ , I could persuade him that I'd make a good farmhand.

I mean… I'd been on farms before; it couldn't be _that_ hard. And the place was pretty run down to begin with; it's not like I'd be doing it any _harm_.

So I planted all the seeds I could find in the box, worked the fields until it got too dark to see, and went to bed hungry, saving my onions for the morning.

There was a chance, just a _chance_ , that I could make this work -- and I couldn't see any way forward but to try.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Spanish Notes**
> 
>  
> 
> It's my hope that viewers who are learning Spanish can pick up a bit from mine, either directly (when Sabra gets the right idea) or by looking it up or figuring it out from context (when Sabra's way off). Here's the details of some of the Spanish that shows up in this episode:
> 
>  **First Sign:** "Bosque Tizón" (Tizón Forest) and "Pueblo Pelícano" (Pelican Town).
> 
> Tizón means [a charred log or stick](https://www.wordreference.com/es/en/translation.asp?spen=tizon). Not a bad choice for the Cindersap Forest.
> 
>  **Second Sign:** "Vía del tren" (train track)
> 
>  **Third Sign:** "Parada de autobús" (bus stop)
> 
>  **Fourth Sign:** "El autobús al desierto de Calico está averiado." (The bus to the desert of Calico is broken/damaged.)  
>  **Dialogue:**
> 
> These are the parts Sabra picks up on. I've tried to stick to as literal and sequential a translation as possible, so a student can more easily pick out the individual words. If you feel like it, try to work out the rest of the dialogue in the vid!
> 
> la mar salada
>     the salty sea (Sabra misunderstands it as "sea salad")
> buen pescado
>     good fish
> una nueva caña
>     a new cane/rod
> mi caña vieja
>     my old cane/rod
> buenas aguas
>     good waters
> abierta
>     open(ed) - an adjective (feminine form)
> si necesitas algo
>     if you need something
> Mañana lloverá todo el día.
>     Tomorrow it will rain all the day. (Note: "It will rain/snow" is an English oddity -- what does "it" refer to? The Spanish is literally "Tomorrow, will-rain all the day," because verbs like "rain" don't need pseudo-subjects.)
> neutros
>     neutral - an adjective (plural form)
> El día está en tus manos.
>     The day is in your hands.
> 
> I do love that last one, as a reminder that Sabra's fate will be decided not by her circumstances, but by how she responds to them. She's been dealt a hand of cards, and her options are limited, but it's up to her to make the most out of what she's been given.
> 
> And the last line onscreen is "¿Quieres irte a dormir?" (Do you want to go to sleep?)


	3. Episode Three (Transcript)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sabra wakes to a rainy day, and decides to do a bit more work around the farm, trying to build up courage toward her first foray into town. Also: Fishing doesn't go so well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Production Notes:** Lake algae (blue-green) is poisonous, but I decided to classify the algae I pick up as "seaweed" since I can eat it in the game. The claim of "all seaweed is edible" I found from sites such as [this](http://www.northernbushcraft.com/seaweed/), though there are some caveats. Industrial areas can load it up with metals (didn't figure this was a problem in a tiny town like this), and stuff washed up onshore can be rotting. Also, it may cause digestion problems, though I don't recall if you ought to cook some of it first or not.
> 
> I had actually researched seaweed before, for a tabletop game I ran for some friends; I refreshed my memory for the episode, but didn't need to start from square one.
> 
> I'm not entirely happy with the flashback color-change, but at least it's noticeable, so you don't think it's just continuing action. I wanted to establish that technique early, thinking it'd get better use later on.
> 
> Really wish I had a way to take footage of the game (using my normal methods; I don't yet trust in-game recorders) without showing the mouse. Would be less immersion-breaking to watch :\ Also would like to be able to sit down somewhere and eat, rather than doing the little jump animation.
> 
> That little shaky pause while I consider whether to drink the Joja-Cola kinda bugs me, but not enough that I wanted to spend more time trying to fix it; I didn't know how to keep the rain going while also having a still shot of the dialog box. I think I could do that now, fairly easily, although it's a weird method (take a screenshot, cut the part I want to stay still, bring it back in using Alpha-Over) and I'd like to figure out how to use masks in Blender so I can splice two pieces of footage together. There are a lot of tricks I could be using, but I don't have the time and energy to devote to learning them right now.
> 
> By contrast, I love the little shake I got for lighting the fire. It was an unexpected glitch, but made it look a little more like Sabra was actually having to work to get the fire going ^_^

The heist was surely a _major_ news story -- anywhere but in _this_ valley. I had to wonder just how local this station really was.

What with the rain, I didn't need to water the plants… but I didn't want to sit around doing _nothing_. Might as well get the _tough_ chores out of the way.

I grabbed a pick and began breaking up stones. My arms got sore pretty quickly, but I managed to get a fair amount done.

The muddy ground was hard to walk on, so I decided to use the broken pieces of stone to make a better walkway. By the time I was done, I had a sore back _on top of_ sore arms -- but the place looked nicer, at least.

I'd always heard that fishing was easier in the rain; never paid attention to _why_. So, I decided to give it a shot. Unfortunately, fish just _weren't_ in the cards today. I caught trash and bits of wood… more trash… soggy newspaper… even the _tiny_ pond was full of trash. This farm was even more run down than I had thought.

The lake gave me seaweed, which was something, at least; all seaweed is edible. Not that it's all _tasty_ , but still.

The water coming in from the ocean had trash, too. When I'd checked the cliffs earlier, I had seen some trash at the base, but I hadn't really thought twice about it. It seemed strange that a small town would be that blasé about litter.

There were already more spring onions in the forest; they do grow quickly. I grabbed the ones that were ready, and headed home.

So this was my lunch: seaweed, wild onions, and a soda I'd fished out of a pond. But the can was sealed and wasn't bulging, so I figured it probably wasn't going to hurt me any. And I needed a drink, even if it _was_ Joja-Cola. Ugh, I _hate_ that stuff.

Chopping wood in the rain wasn't exactly pleasant, but I got a bit more of the area cleared, and took a scythe to the weeds as well. Even saw a frog! Gave me a nostalgia trip for when my brothers and I used to catch tadpoles in the pond just down the street from our neighborhood.

Besides collecting a lot of leaves, I'd picked up some things that looked like seeds. No idea what sort of plant they'd grow into, but I planted them anyway. Let 'em soak up today's water!

Tomorrow, I'd head into town, I decided. Give people a chance to see me around, and hope they didn't have any reason yet to think ill of me. Even without the language, i-if I were friendly enough, maybe I'd lay some groundwork?

And besides, I couldn't live on wild onions and seaweed indefinitely. Maybe I could pick up some odd jobs. And at least I'd figure out what the General Store had to offer.

I managed to light a fire to take off some of the chill, and tried to clear my head of all the ways this could all go very wrong.

My arms and back were still aching when I lay down, and it didn't take me long to fall asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Currently (June 15th) about halfway done with the next video; there's a lot of other projects on my plate right now, but I'm making headway. Finally got the extra footage I needed to splice back in (stuff I failed to capture the first time through that day's events), and I figured out a couple editing tricks. I should also have some custom art, if I get around to drawing it; we'll see. No clue how soon I might be finished with it, though.


	4. A Day of Butterflies (Transcript)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sabra rifles through the mail, introduces herself to some townsfolk, and finds a surprising source of quick income.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **Production Notes:** I'm quite annoyed that I need to go behind the counter to be able to talk to the characters naturally. This applies to Pierre, Clint, Robin, Marnie, and Willy, but in particular to Gus, since he's quite far back. Wish I could press a different button, or choose a "chat" option, to talk to them across the counter, like a normal person would.
> 
> It's too much work for me to make alternative eating animation right now, but I do kinda wish I could sit at a table and eat a meal, instead of throwing it in the air and catching it in my mouth. Immersion is a big thing for me, as a player, and even more as a creator of machinima right now.
> 
> Met in this episode: Haley, Lewis, and Pierre.
> 
> Just noticed that I ended this episode with a happy dream (butterflies) and started the next with a nightmare. Sigh…

There was nothing about the heist, but I was starting to suspect that there wouldn't be. I did learn the word for spring onions, on a show about living off the land. My favorite spring treat was, in Spanish, _cebolletas_.

The trees around here must be the type to grow fast, because there was already one in the middle of my garden. I debated about leaving it be, but eventually decided to bring it down, which brought my first surprise of the day when half a dozen butterflies flew off the branches. I'd loved butterflies since I was a child, and, while I was sorry for having disturbed them, it did go a long way toward lifting my spirits.

After watering the crops, I decided to take down a few more trees. Everywhere I looked that day there were butterflies, and it was hard to stay focused on my work.

When I was too tired to swing the axe safely, I had a quick lunch (while watching the butterflies), and then did something I'd been putting off: I went through the farm's mail. I felt bad about reading private letters… but, if I was gonna stay in this village, I needed to increase my vocabulary -- and fast.

What I got from the first letter was: a person named _Robin_ , talking about a "bunch of stones" "for the farm." He wanted to construct a _pozo_ , whatever that was, for… "all the farm," for… 75 stones and… ten bucks. I had _no idea_ what he was talking about, but I tucked the letter away for later studies.

Then I figured I'd head to town, get some of the introductions out of the way.

I saw a girl at the fountain, and used my rudimentary high-school Spanish to introduce myself. "You're the new farmer, or… something like that?" Anyway, her name was Haley, and she seemed friendly enough. I couldn't think of much to say….

By the market was a man with graying hair. When I approached him, he asked about my "first night on the new farm." What did he know?

"You… _abuelo_ " something -- I didn't know that verb. "I believe," something about "that house." I smiled and nodded.

I looked around the store for a bit; lots of things I'd _like_ to get, and no money with which to get them. I debated about shoplifting, but… I'd always looked down on the shoplifters who took from the mom-and-pop stores. It was one thing to steal from JojaMart, but this was the only shop in a small valley. Even if I _was_ desperate, it didn't seem right.

When I went to introduce myself to the guy running the market, he already knew my name. It startled me for a moment; then I noticed Elliot browsing the shelves. The gossip had already started.

Pierre, though, seemed nice enough. "If you're looking for" -- _semillas_ , seeds, I remember that one. "My store is the"… something something… "very good"… "precious"? "Local economy," that's about all _I_ caught.

Anyway, he spotted a flower I'd picked up on a whim earlier, and offered to buy it. I stared at the 30 cents in my hand, managed an " _Una momento_ ," and ran off. Back to the farm, grabbed _everything_ I had gathered over the past couple of days, and hurried back to the store.

After he'd looked over the selection, Pierre handed over _ten dollars_ in odd coins, and suddenly I knew what I'd be doing over the next few days. Today, though, I was hungry for some _real_ food. I found a saloon and chowed down on some spaghetti, feeling pleasantly full for the first time that week.

If I could get ten bucks just from wild produce, what could I get if I put some time and effort into growing actual crops? I decided I'd give it a try in the morning.

As I wore myself out, chopping more trees, my day ended in an explosion of butterflies -- well over a dozen, which made it into my dreams that night.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **Spanish Notes**
> 
> cebolletas
>     green onions (aka scallions, aka spring onions)
> mucha piedra
>     a lot of stone (in the uncountable sense -- not "many stones" as Sabra deduced)
> por tu granja
>     for your farm
> construya
>     construct
> un pozo
>     a well (Sabra doesn't know the word)
> toda la granja
>     the whole farm
> con 75 piedras
>     with 75 stones
> Tú eres la nueva granjera, o algo así.
>     You are the new farmer, or something like that. (feminine form of "farmer")
> tu primera noche en la vieja granja
>     your first night in the old farm
> tu abuelo
>     your grandfather (Sabra completely misunderstands the sentence structure, and thinks it's a verb, as "tu" can mean "you" or "your," and she doesn't yet grasp that verbs ending in "-o" would go with "yo" (I) not "tu" (you))
> creo
>     I believe
> esa casa
>     that house
> si buscas semillas
>     if you're looking for seeds
> mi tienda
>     my shop
> muy bien
>     very good
> precio
>     price (which Sabra misunderstands as "precious")
> la economía local
>     the local economy
> una momento
>     one moment (Sabra uses the feminine "una," which should be the masculine "uno" to go with "momento")
> 
> I'm _really_ having fun with the little slip-ups and inaccuracies that Sabra comes up with. Being able to do some word play with a language I'm not native to is surprisingly satisfying ^_^

**Author's Note:**

> I'm about to start writing a major project for October; it's gonna take up most of my time, and it starts the slide through the last three months of the year, all of which are likely to have major writing projects of one sort or another.
> 
> That means I'll have little time to work on big video projects. So it might be next year before the next episode of _Fugitive_ goes up.
> 
> What's holding me up is that there's a significant amount of fancy editing in the upcoming episode. I've got the audio recorded and the footage mostly put together, but I've got several little editing tricks to pull, including the fact that I need to draw some actual art, and that's making me procrastinate like crazy. I did get _some_ of the editing tricks done, or partially done, but there have been some problems and irritations while trying to put it together, so it's on hiatus for the moment.
> 
> I don't want to, like, build up high expectations for that episode -- it's basically Sabra sitting in the library, hunting through books and learning about the Valley -- but it's got some neat things and I do want to make good on what I'm planning. Just, not right away.


End file.
